Many cases have been filed by the illegal encroachers in the struggle to protect the mentioned four rivers, the agitators have been subjected to physical torture at various times. But the common people did not retreat from the movement of the river. Despite many threats, the agitators continued their agitation. Not only these four rivers, we have many other river protection movements, the main strength of which is common people. When talking about saving the river with the influential people, they were cut off by showing various difficulties.
We always say one thing, it is possible to save the rivers of Bangladesh if the riverside people take responsibility for protecting their own rivers. But the so-called educated, so-called civilized or conscious citizens are not coming forward in this work. Charter-dependent educated, self-interested civil servants or self-proclaimed conscious people are not doing much to protect the river. It would be wrong to say that these categories of people do not exist at all. Yes, very few.
The main force for river protection is the self-confident common people along the river. In the future, if it is possible to involve the common citizens in the river protection movement, they will be able to save the rivers. No matter how powerful the occupier of the river may be, no matter how many attacks and lawsuits, in the end justice will prevail.
● Tuhin Wadud Begum Rokeya is a professor of Bengali department and director of river protection organization Riverine People
